Crate.



No. 788,588. 8 PATENTBD SEPT. 8, 190s.

W. M. vyro'omvuRTHl GRATB. i APPLICATION FILED APB. 9.41902.

N0 MODEL.

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atenteol September 8,1903.

WILLIAM M. WOODWORTH, OF `SYCAMORE, INDIANA.

CRATE;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. "(38,588, dated September 8, 1903.

Apjiiioason ma Apri19,190z. sarai No. 102.000. No moda.)

To w21 whom t may concern: Be it known'that 1W1LL1AM M. WOOD- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, reside State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Crate, of which the following is a speciication. l 1 The invention relates to improvements in shipping-crates.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of crates and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one which may be used as a shipping-crate for various articles and which byremoving its bottom may be employed in the capacity of a cover to` protect trees,-plants2 dac.

A further object of the invention is to arrange for adjusting the size f thede'vice both laterally and vertically, sc as to accommodate it `to 'its various purposes and to accomplish the several adjustments in avery simple and expeditious manner. l

With these and other objects in View the present invention Aconsists in the combination and arrangement ofparts, as willbe hereinafter morefully described, shown in the acl companyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims, itbeingunderj stood that changes in the form, proportion,

size, and. minor details may be made within the scopeof the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages l drawings, whereby the diameter of the body ofthe invention.

-l In the drawhgsFsul@ l, .is 2. longitudinal .sectionalviewj of a crate constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Fig. 2

is a cross-sectional view thereoff on the line` Fig. 3 is a broken section on" 2` 2 of ne; thelline 3 3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail` view of the head of the cover-supporting frame. f l

`Lilie characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawings.

'I he body ofthe present device isyin the form of an open ended cylinder, which is slightly tapered upwardly and formed in three duplicate varcuate sheet-sections l, 2, and 3, which have their adjacent endsoverlapped, as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the sections. 4ingat Sycamore, in the county of Howard and may be conveniently increased and decreased Aby varying the degree of overlap of thel body# To prevent endwise separation of the `body `members, each pair of overlapped edges is embraced by a loop 4, having a set-screw 5 piercing the inner side thereof and adapted to bear against the inner side of the adjacent body member, so as to draw the two members linto snug engagement and also to prevent accidental sidewise displacement of the band. In assembling the body it will of course be understood that the ends of the body-sections are inserted in opposite directions through the respective loops 4. By loosening the setscrews Vthe body members may be slid endwise through the loops to increase or decrease the size of the body. Although it is preferred to form the body sections or members andthe loops of metal, so as tov provide a strong and `durable device, it will of course be `understood that other materials may be employed.

To provide for increasing the height of the device and for supporting a cover thereover, each body-section is provided near its upper edgewith a transverse slot 6, through which a hooked bolt 7 is projected, the nut S of the `bolt being upon the outer side of the members `its inner side with a set-'screw 11,which pierces Ithe member and bears frictionally against the adjacent standard, so that the latter may be adjusted intoand out of the head to increase the width of the frame. The lower end engagement with the inner sides of thebody portions of the standards are drawn into snug by means of the nuts on the hooked bolts, so

as to rigidly support the frame in position, and said standards may be adj ustedvertically through the hooked bolts when it isdes'ired to increase or diminish the height'of the device.

A lexible cover 12 envelops and is supported by the skeleton frame and is of a length to overlap the body portion,so as to provide a cover for the top of the device. This IOO cover may be of .any preferred character of fabric, waterproof or otherwise, as may be desirable, according t'o the purpose for which the device may be particularly designed.

The body portion of the cloth cover is held snugly against the body of the device by means of a clamping-band formed in three sections 13, 14, and 15, having their contiguous ends overlapped and embraced by the respective loops 16, similar to the loops 4, but having the set-screws 17 upon the outer sides of the loops, so as to be accessible for adjusting the band. `As clearly indicated in Fig. 1, the lower edge portion of the cover is fitted snugly between the body of the device and the band, the latter being forced downwardly upon the slightly-tapered body, so as to insure a tight clamping of the cover. The band is adjustable, so as to be readily accommodated to the size of the body and to iit any portion thereof, according to the degree of vertical adjustment of the standards 9.

The crate is provided with a bottom 18,

which fits Within the lower portion of the body and is provided with a plurality of pendent catches 19, having inclined or cam open-ended slots 2O for engagement with headed studs or j projections 2l, extending inwardly from the bottom portion of the body-section, so that by turning the bottom the studs or projections may be received in the slots 20, and by reason of the inclination of the latter the bottom will be drawn upwardly into snug engagement with the tapered body. It will of course be understood that the bottom may be removed by turning it in a reverse direction to disconnect the catches 19 from the studs or,` projections 21. When the device is employed as a shipping-crate, the bottom is in place,

and it is particularly adapted for shippingl poultry. After it has reached its destination Vthe removable bottom may be detached and it may be used as a cover, as hereinafter explained.

Among the various applications of the device when the bottom is detached, it is espe- I cially designed to use it in the capacity of a this manifest change it has not been deemed i necessary to illustrate such modification. In

plant and tree protector, and in View of the detachable and adjustable connections be-y tween the parts thereof it may be conventhe weather.

and therefore the body may be rigid and the standards 9 fastened thereto, and in view of addition to protecting trees and plants the device may be employed for protecting haystacks, corn, and fodder standing in the iield, and, in fact, anything of this nature which may require protection from the snow, wind, &c. It is furthermore designed to provide the device in much smaller sizes, so as to form covers or protectors for edible articles upon counters, dining-tables, and the like, so as to afford a protection against flies, dust, &c. In larger sizes the device may be effectively employed as a tent.

What I claim is- 1. A device of the class described comprising a body open at the top and bottom and provided on its interior with horizontal projections arranged near the lower end of the body, a removable bottom provided with depending approximately -vertical catches interlocked with the projections of the body and connecting the bottom with the same and supporting the said bottom, and holding the latter against inward and outward movement, substantially as described.

l2. A device of the class described, comprising a body open at both ends and provided on its interior adjacent to its lower ends With horizontal projections, a detachable bottom arranged within the body and provided with depending approximately -vertical catches having inclined slots receiving the projections, whereby the bottom is connected with the body and is locked against inward and outward movement, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a body having an open top, adjustable hooked bolts piercing the body, a cover-supporting frame rising above the `body and having standards fitted in the hooked portions of the bolts and adjustable vertically therethrough, a textile cover supported upon the frame and overlapping the body, and a clamping-band embracing the cover and the body.

4. The combination of a body having an open top and provided with a plurality of transverse slots, hooked bolts adjustably fitted in the respective slots, a cover-supporting frame having standards adjustably held in the hooks of the respective bolts, a textile cover supported upon the frame and overlapping the body, and a clamping-band embracing the cover and the body.

5. A device of the class described comprisving a body open at each end and provided on its interior near its upper end with clamping elements, a cover provided with supports extending into the body and detachably engaged by the said clamping elements, a removable bottom arranged within the lower end of the body and provided with depending catches, and means mounted on the interior of the body for engagement with the said catches, whereby the bottom is held against inward and outward movement, substantially as described.

6. A combined shippingcrate and protector comprising a body open at both ends and provided with extensible sections adj ustably connected for lvarying the size of the body, a detachable bottom fitted within and secured to the lower end of the body, and a cover composed of adjustable sections and adjustably and detachably secured to the body at the top thereof, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a body form ed of end- IOO IIO

transversel slots, meansrfor adjustably con 4 necting the sections, hooked bolts adj ustably mounted in the slots, a cover-supporting frame havingindependent standards fitted in the hooks of the bolts, and a textile cover embracing the frame' and connected to the f body.

8; The combination of -a body formed of end- Wise-adjustable overlapped sections, loops embracing the overlapped portions of the body-sections, set-screws carriedby the loops and engaging the adjacent sections, an ex tensible cover-supporting frame having its members connected to the respective bodysections, a textile cover embracing the frame and thebody, 'and a clamping-band embracing` the cover and the body, said band being formed of endwise-adjustable overlapped sections, and having loops adj ustably embracing the overlapped portions and provided With set-screws for engagement with the adjacent band-sections.'

rrr: un l provided with transverse slots, loopsadjustably embracing the overlapped portions ofthe i sections, set-screws piercing the loops andengaging the adjacent sections, a cover-supporting frame embodying a head having substantially radial 'openended sockets, setscrews piercing the under sides of the sockets, standards rising from the inner sides of the body With their upper ends fitted in the sockets into adjustable engagement with the setscrews, hooked bolts adjustably iitted in the slots of the body and engaging the respective-standards, a textile cover embracing the frame and the body, and a clamping-band embracing the cover and the body, said band being formed of endWise-adjustable overlapped sections having loops embracing the overlapped portions and provided with setscreWs to adjustably connect the sections.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my ,signatureV in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM M; WOODWORTH. Vitnesses v F. R. HILL, Y H. E. Asn. 

